The End

When I was One,
I had just begun.

When I was Two,
I was nearly new.

When I was Three,
I was hardly me.

When I was Four,
I was not much more.

When I was Five,
I was just alive.

But now I am six,
I'm as clever as clever

So I think I'll be six now
Forever and ever.

A. A. Milne (1882 - 1956)

A. A. Milne is most celebrated for his children’s books inspired by his son, Christopher Robin Milne. The character Christopher Robin and the teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh were based on his son and his toys, with the bear inspired by a real bear named Winnipeg at the London.

A simple six stanza poem, each of two rhyming lines based on the passage of time and the innocence of childhood. The poem begins with a child’s recollection of early life from the age of one to that of reaching six. The structure and playful tone capture the childhood mind.

Of course, a six-year-old child is not inclined to reflect back on life. One of that age is only concentrated on moving foreward to the next day. And one certainly not able to produce such humour reflected in the words of the poem. The first five stanzas stress the fact that the child is barely alive. The contrast in the next stanza is so marked. He or she is clever and has discovered cleverness by doing something specific perhaps. But this maybe a little trying for his or her parents. Especially if the child has been terribly annoying like working out how to open a cupboard! Humour comes in the closing stanza with a wish to stay clever for ever and ever.

If we take any journey in life over a short period while learning and being educated, we may reach that clever state too – hopefully not with arrogance but with the happiness that seems to be articulated in the poem. Of course, as we get older, we often reflect back on life. We may still feel regret of something that has happened. It can continue to colour our daily life. The clever thing is to dismiss it from thought and move on.

In some way this poem is a bit like the climbing of a high mountain. On the way reaching a plateau. A place where you want to stop and rest and stay where you are. At the same time being pleased with the initial achievement; with a reluctance to proceed to the next stage of the uphill track. I think we continue to be challenged in one way or another no matter our age. As we ger older perhaps the plateau is a rest in the evening after an exacting day and the need for a good sleep.

A. A. Milne on Wikipedia.